QUEENS, NY — Judy Rodriguez, a woman whose identity had remained a mystery for over three decades after her body was discovered in Queens in 1991, has finally been identified through advanced DNA testing, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday.
Rodriguez’s body was found on August 25, 1991, at the intersection of the Cross Island and Southern State parkways. Her ankles were bound with a cord, and her remains were concealed under a large wooden board. Despite the arrest and conviction of four men involved in her killing, Rodriguez’s identity remained unknown until recently.
In April 2024, the Queens DA’s Cold Case Unit worked with a private laboratory, DNA Labs International, to generate a genealogical profile from Rodriguez’s skeletal remains. Using investigative genealogy, detectives traced the profile to her family and confirmed her identity as Judy Rodriguez, a 30-year-old mother of three who had been reported missing shortly after being last seen on January 23, 1991, at her daughter’s first birthday party.
“Three decades ago, four men were convicted for a gruesome killing, but the family went 33 long years without answers about their loved one,” District Attorney Katz said. “Thanks to advanced DNA technology and the tireless efforts of our Cold Case Unit and the NYPD, we have finally provided the family with those crucial details.”
The case underscores the growing role of forensic genealogy in solving cold cases. A $500,000 grant secured by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng has enabled the Cold Case Unit to expand its efforts, with genealogical investigations initiated for 14 unidentified human remains cases this year.